The Forces of Time
by rayinagalaxyfaraway
Summary: When Supreme Leader Snoke is killed at the hands of Kylo Ren, also known as Ben Solo, he and the scavenger Rey cause a rip in the Force itself. This dangerous anomaly pushes infamous Star Wars characters to the times of the Empire, creating hundreds of issues by itself. Will our heroes be able to overcome this destructive occurrence? { time travel }
1. Prologue & The Desert With No Sand

**Prologue**

"You have no place in this story, you come from nothing, you're nothing…but not to me. Join me."

The young Jedi forced back tears in her swelling, hazel eyes as she looked down at _his_ hand. Kylo Ren, the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, was extending his hand out to who? A helpless, orphaned girl who begged him to change. She knew he could change.

Rey was about to burst into tears.

 _Please don't. Please don't go this way, Ben._

She hesitated, racing her glance from his lightsaber, to his hand, to his eyes; those damned, glassy eyes that opposed her pleading stare. Rey wanted to go with him so desperately, for she began to take Kylo Ren's hand when an imperative voice spoke to her:

 _The man you speak to is Kylo Ren, but the man you seek is crying for help behind a facade._

Rey immediately knew what she had to do, and this time, her personal interest wouldn't hold her back. She used what strength she had left to connect to the Force, channeling all of her focus into moving a single lightsaber to her grasp. Kylo grimaced as he forced his arm out as well, reaching to that saber as if his very existence depended on it, and it did.

Wind flung both of them back a few feet, but the distance only made their opposing forces even more extreme. Sounds of struggle escaped Rey's lips as she squinted at the weapon from a more civilized time.

Moments passed. These final seconds cued strange crackling and whirling noises, signs of future fatigue in the two Force users, and horrific damage to the once eerie throne room.

 _Ben, I can save you._

 _Ben Solo is dead! I killed him!_

 _Please, please come back to me._

 _Join me, Rey, and we will rule the galaxy together. Do not resist me._

And without a moment's hesitation, everything went dark.

* * *

 **The Desert With No Sand**

"Hey, Dad? Quick question. How do I fix this droid? He keeps talking to me in Ubese," a young boy questioned, tinkering with a green protocol droid.

"Try rewiring the left hip, kiddo. That's where they keep the language settings these days, eh?" Han Solo replied, emptying a crate of deactivated thermal bombs. "Chewie, you mind giving that kid a hand? I'm busy over here."

The Wookiee responded with a whine as he stomped over to a young Ben Solo, who sat helplessly on the ground. Chewbacca and Ben were like peas in a pod back then, well, at least when Han wasn't around. Ben always sought out the Wookiee for comfort when his parents fought, and Chewie never let him down.

A few minutes later, Leia popped her head from behind the door, holding a rusted lightsaber. "Guess who's going to train to become a Jedi with his uncle?" she exclaimed.

"No way! And is that a real lightsaber? I've never touched one before!" Ben gasped, running over to go see the foreign, elegant weapon.

He was so. . . innocent. So innocent that it physically sickened Kylo Ren to even think about it. His poisoned thoughts turned the once sweet memory into a bitter, black one.

"Yep! And guess what? The next time we see you, you're going to be mentally scarred from our decision and have to live with the act of killing your father for the rest of your life!"

Kylo sat up in a cold sweat from a breeze that was chilling to the bone. Where was he? He went to go brush hair out of his mouth when something occurred to him: the same mask that he had destroyed was now perfectly intact and on his face. "The hell…?"

Kylo Ren looked around, wanting to remove the mask, but knowing that if he did, his face would probably freeze. "Hello?" the Supreme Leader screamed, clenching his bruised fists.

Surrounding him was an endless landscape of snow, and numerous, thick snowflakes had already clouded his eyesight.

 _What had happened?_

At this rate, Kylo knew for certain that if he didn't move, he would die out in the middle of nowhere from hypothermia. Thinking quickly, he reached for his lightsaber, but noticed that Rey's was there instead of his.

 _I could have sworn this was destroyed…_

Despite the change, Kylo ignited it for subtle warmth and began to wander aimlessly for any signs of life. On his journey, various thoughts zipped across his conflicted mind. His major concern was Rey, and he truly hoped that she wasn't too far away from him.

Hours passed by, yet Kylo seemed to have no luck when it came to finding shelter, and the saber began to overheat too, which didn't help either. The desert without sand was continuous, and the Knight weakened immensely. "Rey...anyone...please…" he quivered. A small, moving dot was spotted rushing toward the collapsing Kylo Ren, but he was already long unconscious when it finally reached him.

"Where am… who are you?" he questioned, coughing vigorously from the aftermath of the frigid temperatures. He was incapable of opening his eyes from the fatigue that seemed to plague him after a long, long day. Though the rest of his body was in a healing wrap, the same, notorious mask still remained on his face.

"You're awake!" a soothing voice replied, looking down upon the First Order executive. "Before I tell you my name, I need to know who _you_ are. I kept your helmet on to respect your privacy, but we have to know which side you're on," she explained. A slight tenseness was growing in the woman's voice.

The dark figure held his breath, perplexed that his mask hadn't answered that question for the stranger.

"Kylo," he replied, not wanting to reveal too much about himself. "Kylo _Ben_ is my name. I am… a Jedi master. And who are you?" He recoiled at his response. If she hadn't recognized him by now, though, it would be best for his identity to be concealed.

"A Jedi? I thought Luke was the last of them. But I'm Princess Leia Organa. You can just call me Princess Leia if you'd like,"

 _Leia Organa?_

Kylo jumped in the bed, instantly regaining the strength he needed to see this woman through his eyes. It _was_ her. His mother's flawless, pale, yet rosy skin glistened in the harsh light that the room had to offer. Her beautiful hair was tied in a braided crown, a look that he always remembered from his childhood.

But something was off. She was so much younger than he had remembered. Kylo examined the princess carefully and realized something that seemed impossible.

 _I must be having a vision. Perhaps that fight with Rey put us into a trance of some kind._

"Are you alright? You must've been out there for so long," the Princess began, looking off into the distance. "It's so strange. You're the third person we've saved this week. Where do you come from?"

Kylo stiffened and clenched his fists. "Who did you save? What planet is this? Where's Rey? I need answers, _Princess_ ," The very word disgruntled him, and it definitely showed in his tone, but he was so confused that it didn't matter anymore. Kylo knew it must be a dream, yet it felt so real.

The Princess tilted her head a bit, uncomfortable with how much his voice sounded like Han's whilst using sarcasm, but Leia took a step back, sensing his aggravation. "We've found a strange bunch consisting from a stormtrooper with no memory of the Empire, a Resistance pilot who only seems to talk to his droid, and, well, you," she explicated. "And whoever this Rey is, I'm sure we can find her for you."

"Bring me to them. I'm sure I can walk now, Princess. How long have I been out?"

"Fifteen hours. These data scanners say that you might need another-"

"Bring me to them. Now."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. And watch your temper, _Kylo_. We already have enough problems on our hands."

"What do you mean?"

Leia paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "Nevermind. I have a lot of work to do, but I'll try to check in every hour or so. Maybe expect a visit from Han Solo."

 _Han Solo._ Kylo recoiled once again.

"I'm joking with you. He'd probably just make up an excuse to avoid it. You stay here now, ok? I'll be back to check on you soon," Leia told him, sounding a bit exasperated. Kylo remained stern as she walked out, shaking her head with disappointment. "Alpha 23? Alpha 23? Do you repeat?" the Princess questioned as she spoke into a transmitter.

"Yes, your Highness. We hear you, out," a male voice replied.

"You may release the pilot from his chamber. I want you to try and see if he recognizes that stormtrooper we found earlier, out."

"Yes, of course, your Highness. It will be done immediately."


	2. The Reunion of Arms

**The Reunion of Arms**

"Dameron, Poe. I repeat, Dameron, Poe," a voice echoed over the intercom.

"What?" a male groaned, laying on a flat surface in the small, dark room. The walls were thick sheets of ice with various metals on it to keep prisoners from digging their way out.

"You're being released with orders from the Princess. You are advised to meet with a stormtrooper we found near the location you were discovered. Be in Sector Hall 6 within the next five minutes," the man commanded. With the harsh hiss of the door, a familiar orange droid appeared at the exit, beeping happily before rolling up to the pilot.

"BB-8!" Poe exclaimed, kneeling down to level out with his partner. "Yeah, yeah. I'm happy to see you, too. Lead the way, buddy."

The droid went through various, icy hallways with Poe close behind. The deserted rebel felt strange watching hundreds of fellow rogue pilots work, for he didn't recognize a single one.

"Clearance granted," a protocol droid buzzed at the two as he opened a thick door, revealing the worried Finn, who sat fumbling with his armor.

"Poe? Is that really you?"

"Finn! Am I glad to see you!"

The men ran towards one another, greeting the other with a welcoming, pure hug.

"Why're you wearing stormtrooper armor? And that bloody helmet," Poe whispered, pointing at his mask with a blood-stained mark over the eyes, "I thought you got rid of it?"

"I don't know. I woke up in the middle of this wasteland a few days ago wearing this exact outfit. Do you know what's even weirder? The blood was fresh, even though that happened so long ago," Finn explained. "And you? You're wearing that leather jacket you gave to me."

Poe let his fingers run over the familiar stitching. "You're right. Something's wrong."

Finn bit his cheek and pondered for a moment. What was happening? He looked down when a crucial thought popped into his mind.

"Where's Rey?"

"I have no clue. I've only seen her once, and that was after we destroyed the Starkiller Base," Poe replied, scratching his head.

"Thanks, that didn't help at all," Finn said, side-eyeing his friend.

"Sorry! I'll go ask someone if they know where she is. Do you know where _we_ are, though? This place doesn't seem familiar, and I've been to every Resistance base,"

"Dude, they literally held me at gunpoint while they brought me in from the snow,"

"Well that's horrifying. I'll be right back," Poe began, walking off to ask for help. "BB, you keep an eye on him, eh?" The droid whistled back happily, turning his head to Finn.

The Resistance pilot tapped an electrician on the shoulder while looking around. It was all so uncanny. Everyone around him was part of the Resistance as well, but no one knew who he was.

"Uh, can I help you..?" the worker questioned.

"Poe. It's Poe Dameron. Where are we?"

"Hoth, of course. Did you hit your head or something?

Hoth. _The_ Hoth? The Hoth that the legendary Battle of Hoth took place on?

Poe took a step back.

"You're telling me that we're in the ruins of the iconic Hoth base? Wasn't it taken over by the Empire, when was it, thirty-something years ago? I thought it was still under the First Order's control."

"Iconic Hoth base? Are you implying that this base's location is known widely to the public?"

"Of course! Everyone knows about this place, man. You've heard the stories, right? The Empire came with AT-ATs and Darth Vader-"

The electrician didn't allow him to finish, for he sprinted off towards the missionary centers. Poe watched this and crossed his arms. "Guess he was more of a Clone Wars type of guy."

Finn rushed up to his friend and shook his shoulders. "Not only does no one know _where_ Rey is, no one knows _who_ Rey is! And I overheard some pilots grumbling about Darth Vader's next move. Have you noticed how everyone here is clueless when it comes to the First Order, but acts like the Empire is still around? I have a bad feeling about this, Poe."

"C'mon, I have an idea," the pilot replied, motioning for the droid and ex-trooper to follow.

He lead them through a maze of icy corridors until he found the one room he was looking for: Missionary Command Center. Poe opened the door to reveal a distressed Princess Leia, who was holding her head in disappointment, numerous officers, and Han Solo.

"Hey! D'ya mind knockin' before barging in like that?" Solo shouted, putting a hand on his hip. "Who are you two?"

BB-8 beeped in utter disapproval.

"Three. Who are you _three?"_

"I'm Poe Dameron, Resistance pilot," he introduced himself, waving slightly.

"I'm Finn, and this is BB-8," Finn explained, pointing to their short partner in crime.

"Why are you wearing stormtrooper armor?" Han asked while putting a hand on his blaster.

"No wait! Don't shoot me!" Finn pleaded, putting his hands up in defense. "I used to be a stormtrooper, but I switched sides! I helped Poe escape from our base after he got tortured by Kylo Ren."

Leia's head perked up at the name. "Kylo? Isn't that that guy we also found in the snow near you guys? He's in the emergency center near Luke right now," she asked.

Poe and Finn's jaws dropped.

"He's _here?!"_

Finn grabbed Poe's gun from out of his bag, turning the safety off in a sinch. "Mind if I shoot that asshole really fast?"

"Woah, Finn!" Poe exclaimed in shock. "I wanted to do the honors myself."

"Hey, hey, hey! Nobody's shooting nobody unless I do it," Han added.

"Boys!" Leia yelped, splitting them up. "Why on Hoth would you want to shoot him? Kylo is a Jedi master who can really help us out here. Plus, I promised him I would help him search for some girl named Rey."

"Rey! Do you know where she-"

"Princess!" a distressed voice called out from behind a screen. "Our scanners have picked up abnormal thermal energy in Zone 26. It's a human."

"Well what are you waiting for? Go send someone out to get them! It could be Rey!" Finn stated, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Alert Captain Pavush. He's on his flying route near 22, so he can pick them up and bring them back," Leia commanded firmly.

"Yes, your highness."

Finn bit the inside of his lip once again, this time a bit more hopefully than last. "It has to be her. It just has to be!"

Poe put a calming hand on Finn's shoulder, giving him a reassuring look. "Don't worry, buddy. She'll be there," he stated.

"Where did you guys come from? I mean, we found you in the middle of nowhere. Do you have a ship?" interrogated Leia.

"Last thing I remember was Vice Admiral Holdo flying lightspeed into Snoke's fleet," Poe explained, recalling the past events. "Then everything went black."

"I was about to be beheaded by Captain Phasma when everything went black as well, Leia," Finn added. "I hope Rose is okay."

Han and Leia shared confused, yet concerned looks with one another.

"But no, we didn't have a ship. In fact, Finn and I weren't even close to one another when the darkness overcame us. I have absolutely no idea how we both managed to end up here," Poe murmured as he looked down at BB-8.

"Wait a minute, you two look...awfully young. Not that it's bad or anything!" Finn exclaimed. "How has this not occurred to me yet? I _watched_ you die, Han. With my own eyes! Rey, Chewie and me. This isn't right. And as long as Kylo Ren is here, he's a threat to this entire base."

"Excuse me?" Han, who was now a bit offended, asked. "Who do you think you are, huh? Coming in here and saying that garbage to us? What d'ya mean that I look younger? And I ain't dead, kid!" The smuggler shook his head as he grabbed his blaster.

Leia just stared at all three of them, having no clue of what to do next. Then it hit her. Yes, of course! Luke would know exactly what to do. "I'll be right back."

"Princess!" a nurse cried, her purple eyes filled with expressions of fear. "Kylo is no longer in his room. He _killed_ four of our nurses!"

"Stop him immediately! I want every man we have to encircle and stop Kylo! Do _not_ kill him, though. He could be our inside person to the Empire," Leia ordered, charging up her own blaster gun. The nurse nodded her head and rushed off, spitting foreign words to the soldiers. "You two say that you're good at fighting? I mean, one of you is an ex-trooper and the other is a pilot. You better say yes," inquired the Princess.

"I'll get a gun," Finn replied.

BB-8 stuck out a metal latch with a small flame at the tip, whistling an affirmative.

"I'm with 'ya," Poe included, smiling ridiculously.


	3. A Rude Awakening

**A Rude Awakening**

"I can feel him. He's here, isn't he? Luke Skywalker," Kylo asked, his deep voice so emotionless it was ominous. The nurse's lips trembled as she folded the blanket next to his body. "Let me out of these restraints. I know they're there to keep me from hurting myself, but I can walk now."

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but I actually don't have the right to do that."

"Let me out of these restraints. Now."

"Sir, just close your eyes and-"

The lights began to flicker as the nurse held on to her throat for her life. Her light, pale body floated furiously into the air as the Knight of Ren choked her so forcefully that she could barely think of what was happening. He didn't flinch as the innocent girl's life wisped away at his fingertips.

"I wanted to do this the easy way."

Kylo closed his eyes and dove deep into the cloud of darkness surrounding his presence. He clenched his teeth as the restraints exploded, allowing the murderer to escape freely.

"Kylo? I'm going to have to ask you to-"

Beheaded.

"He's dead! He's dead! Someone help-"

Impaled.

"Please, I-I have a wife! Four sons I would very much like to see agai-"

Choked.

Kylo wiped the blood from his gloves, looking down at the blue blade staring right back at him. This was the saber that Vader used to kill so many. The saber Luke used to battle his own father before losing his hand. The anger, hatred, and grotesque history of this weapon empowered the Knight of Ren to continue fighting.

Kylo made his way toward Luke's room. He knew that he was in some sort of trance where nobody recognized him, but that didn't stop him from killing his uncle in the dream. It was odd, though, for it all felt so real. This trance wasn't like any other one he had had in the past.

The door hissed open, revealing a recovering Luke who was getting a wound looked at. The android taking care of him froze, staring right back at Kylo.

The offspring of Solo and Skywalker examined his uncle, who was now much, _much_ younger.

"Luke?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

The young Skywalker's eyes widened fearfully as he gaped at the Knight of Ren. Black helmet with a cape? Lightsaber? He knew instantly that this person was a threat to the Rebellion.

"Stay back!" Luke exclaimed, igniting his saber. "I know you're a Sith! You're with the Empire!"

Kylo took a step back, allowing Rey's saber to light up next to his face.

"You...you have a blue saber? It looks just like mine," Luke murmured, a puzzled expression showing on his face.

"This isn't mine, uncle. You should know that. _You're_ the one who made me like this! _You_ are the one who killed Ben Solo that night! And now, you are going to pay." Kylo's fury began to shine through radiantly now, and he swung his saber into the air, attacking first.

Luke blocked the swing quickly, just barely breaking a sweat."I don't want to fight you. I don't even know who you are! And whoever Ben Solo is, I'm sorry about him! But I can assure you I didn't kill-"  
Kylo's saber clashed with Luke's, creating a blinding blue light. The two swung and swung until a sudden rush of energy pushed them far apart.

"There's a great disturbance in the Force," muttered Luke, who held his head in pain. "I don't know what it is but-"

"Rey."

Kylo stood up on his feet and sprinted into the corridors as fast as he possibly could. He pushed all obstacles out of his way using the Force until he was out in the snow.

"Dammit," he grumbled. "I forgot how cold it is."

"Put your hands up!" a familiar voice called out.

Kylo turned around slowly to reveal his father alongside Chewbacca, both of them wielding large weapons. Chewie made an unpleasant whine as he threw his arms up.

"You've killed enough, you ugly imperial agent. You're comin' with us."

"No. Rey is out there,"

"Listen, whoever the hell this Rey girl is, she's being brought back by one of our pilots as we speak. Now, I won't ask again. Come with me."

At this point, at least thirty armed rebels encompassed the three, all of their guns pointed at the same person. Kylo grumbled under his breath and followed his father, for he was too weak from fighting with Luke to escape.

"Han!" shouted Leia from across the hall.

The smuggler, who had his gun pointed at Kylo's head, turned sharply. "I'm kinda busy right now, sweetheart."

"I have eyes, laser brain. An imperial droid was spotted in Zone 12. We sent someone after it but it just self-destructed. The Empire found us. We need to start evacuating."

Han and Chewie stopped in their tracks, exchanging worried glances. "Well what're we gonna do with this guy?"

"He's our bait, of course. If Vader finds out that we have one of his important men, he's bound to come rescue him, right?"

Kylo Ren flinched as Chewbacca's grip tightened on his arm.

"Sorry to intrude, Princess, but an imperial fleet has been detected coming out of lightspeed. They have AT-ATs...lots of them." a soldier reported, holding a datapad.

"Prepare your comrades for ground assault. We're not going down without a fight."

Leia looked back at Kylo, squinting her brown eyes at him. "Chewie, you still have that serum, right? The one you were working on earlier to immobilize stormtroopers?" The Wookiee nodded excitedly, pulling out a thin syringe from his satchel. "Use it on Ren over here. Bet he's not a threat when unconscious."

Before he could fight back, Chewie inserted the needle into Kylo's neck and watched as he went limp in his arms.

" _No,_ _I am your father."_

" _No! That can't be true. That's impossible!"_

 __" _Search your feelings. You know it to be true."_

" _You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness! You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"_

" _You're breaking my heart!"_

" _I have failed you, Anakin; I have failed you."_

A young woman stood in the middle of unknown conversations surrounding her in pure fear. Where was she? Who was talking? What happened?

She reached for her saber when she realized the one she usually wielded was nowhere to be seen. It was replaced by a crossguard lightsaber.

"Ben," she whispered, clutching it tightly in her hands.

"Rey?"

The woman snapped around and made direct eye contact with a familiar face.

"It _is_ you."

Rey stopped in her tracks, her hickory eyes welling up. "You're in here, too?" she asked. "I have no idea how long I've been in this...this dream, Ben. I've come face to face with someone called Count Dooku...w-with some terrifying man named Darth Maul! How do I know you're real and not part of this vision?" Now she was trembling horribly.

Kylo frowned. "I've been in a trance, too. My mother and _father_ were there. But what I don't understand is why they were so young. I think this trance has transported me into another time, Rey. Chewbacca put some drug into my veins and now...now I'm here with you. We're both unconscious. We must be connected in our dreams now, too, not just when we're awake."

Rey stared at him, almost whimpering. She reached for his hand, but hugged him tightly instead, burying her face in his shirt. "I feel so lost, Ben. I've never seen darkness like this. I've been trapped in this dream for days. I'm terrified."

Kylo didn't know how to respond to the sudden contact, but simply wrapped his arms around her waist. "We can get through this together, Rey. I promise, I will protect you."

She looked up at his scarred face, a sudden chill running down her spine. An unknown darkness was brewing inside of him. Rey didn't know exactly what it was, but she could feel his anger and frustration hidden behind this facade.

"Ben, I-"

"-find your lack of faith disturbing." a cold, _piercing_ voice called from the shadows.

"Who said that?" Rey asked aloud, shaking furiously. She was not ready for a third encounter with a dark lord.

"Well, the Admiral is as clumsy as he is stupid… you have failed me for the last time."

Rey suddenly felt Kylo's absence and gasped in fear. "Ben? Ben! Where are you?"

A wind pushed her to the ground, and before she knew it, a cloaked figure stood next to her. "The force is strong with you, young one. I will train you to kill my former apprentice."

And with no delay, something that was recognizable to Rey: darkness.


	4. Darkness Rises, and Light to Meet It

**Darkness Rises, and Light to Meet It**

A towering villain sat in his chair concentrating on a mysterious feeling he had. "Officer Hovockian, put me on with my master," he commanded, walking over to kneel on a weighted platform.

"Lord Vader, have you have felt it?" the Emperor started, pronouncing every word sharply. "There has been a rude awakening in the Force."

"I have, my master. It has been getting stronger the closer I approach Hoth."

"It is not a presence I have ever felt before. Investigate, Lord Vader. I want you to bring this stranger to me. If they can be turned, they will become a great asset to us. They seem to be...unbalanced. On the edge of corruption. It should be simple for a man of your power." The Emperor took an eerie pause to recollect his thoughts. "In other events, I have every reason to conjecture that the rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star is Luke Skywalker, the offspring of Anakin Skywalker. I believe that he and this other Force-user are both hiding together. Bring them to me. If we were to turn them, the galaxy may fall to its knees."

Vader nodded and kept his head down as the hologram disappeared in front of him.

He stared down at his datapad, clenching his teeth in hatred, for his now dead admiral had come out of lightspeed too close to the planet, alerting the rebels of their presence. "Idiot," he mumbled. "Now retrieving these figures will be much harder."

Vader angrily holo-called an officer on the bridge. "Have we found any rebels out on shifts? I have heard that that droid we sent placed thermal scanners around the area."

"We have, my lord, but there are good news and bad news. Bad news is that the rebels are already fleeing and have prepared for assault. Good news, however, is that there are eight scums who were locked out whilst on shifts. Luckily, all energy in their ships were shut off to prevent us from finding them, but little do they know. One of them is not moving and alone. They all are miles away from the base."

"We can use them as hostages. Those rebel scums will not resist the temptation to save so many people in their cause. I want you to engage the planet and depart your AT-ATs and AT-STs. Any surviving rebels left behind should be brought to the prison corridor." The Sith Lord ordered, turning off the comm.

"Everything is falling into place," he spoke, turning to the window of stars. "Soon the Jedi will cease to exist. A conclusion long awaited for."

* * *

"Let me go! Let...her go!" Kylo harshly whispered in his unnatural sleep. His wrists and ankles were both in shackles whilst being locked up in an icy cell. Poe and Finn stood on the other side of the door, spectating with great interest. The two were commanded to stand guard as the Rebellion began their escape.

"What do you think he's dreaming about?" Poe asked, keeping his voice in a hush.

"It's probably one of those Force-user visions. Rey talked in her sleep all the time after she battled Kylo Ren on the Starkiller Base," replied a frowning Finn, who stood digging his boot into the snowy ground.

"Kinda weird that you watched her sleep, buddy,"

Finn laughed awkwardly for a moment, but his smile quickly faded.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that he was our only way of finding Rey after the search pilots lost contact with Leia. If we really are in another time, Poe, and this is when the Battle of Hoth takes place, she's either going to freeze to death, get smashed by an AT-AT, or get captured by the Empire."

Poe bit the inside of his cheek, looking down at BB-8. "You're right. We have to tell someone. Maybe we can-"

"Rey!" Kylo screamed at the top of his lungs before sitting up abruptly, his body sweating. The restraints on his legs and arms snapped with the amount of energy surrounding him.

Finn and Poe held up their guns to the door in a panic. "What about Rey?" the former stormtrooper questioned worriedly.

"I think she's going to die."

The two rebels exchanged a certain look of pure terror.

"Alert! Alert! Imperial AT-ATs have been deployed south of the base! Imperial AT-ATs have been deployed south of the base! Report to your stations immediately!" an urgent voice exclaimed over the P.A.

"It's happening. Vader's coming," Poe stated.

"Vader? My grandfather?"

Poe turned to Kylo and shushed him, "Shut up! If this isn't some weird trance, we somehow traveled back in time! Letting anyone know that Vader is related to you will get as all killed!"

"Doesn't seem that bad to me," murmured Kylo Ren.

"We have to escape now. I remember hearing how lots of rebels almost made it out after the ground assault but were slaughtered by Darth Vader near their ships," explained Finn, who was now watching the other pilots take off. He instantly spotted Luke and Artoo boarding an X-wing, squinting to take in every detail.

The Knight of Ren closed his eyes, trying to sense Rey with his mind. Cold. Black...warmth. She was in the middle of the snow, yes, buried, afraid, and unconscious. "The only good news I seem to have is that Rey is alive and uncaptured, but she's slowly freezing to death."

"That seems to be the most reassuring yet alarming statement I've ever heard," commented Finn.

"Finn, a word?" Poe asked, pointing to a place away from the cell door. The two moved to the spot and debated quietly. "Do we let him come with us or leave him?"

"Well, if we leave him, Darth Vader could find him and the Empire would become twice as deadly as before. If we _take_ him, he can locate Rey for us using those Jedi sense-tricks or whatever, and if he tries killing anyone, we'll just leave him in the snow," replied Finn.

Poe paused for a beat, making sure to choose the best choice. "We'll take him with us, but I'm not sure how we'll sneak him out without getting shot at."

"If you haven't noticed, there's literally a war going on out there right now. Everyone is too distracted fending off the base to notice us leaving. If Kylo follows our directions, I don't think we'll get caught."

Poe nodded slowly as he patted BB-8 on the head. "Alright, here's the plan…"

As Darth Vader's shuttle landed in the rebel outpost, the Sith couldn't help but wonder what this secret Force-user was capable of. Hopefully it wasn't a full fledged Jedi that would do their very best to slaughter him. Vader had had his fair share of violent fights, but now it was different. What if his son teamed up with the Jedi and they both vowed to leave him dead? Luke wouldn't know that he was murdering his own blood. Vader clenched his jaw, calming himself before his worries got the best of him.

"My Lord, we have arrived."

The doors hissed as a ramp was let down to the ground, allowing the Imperials to set foot in the icy base. The Sith felt a tingle as he sensed something he had not felt in another beside his master in decades: darkness. Someone on the base was strong with the Dark Side.  
"Poe! There's a ship over here! Hurry BB-8!" a voice exclaimed from the echoes of the corridors.

Vader began sprinting towards the distressed voices, longing for hostages. He had ran through at least seven different hallways until he saw a sight he never thought he'd see: an unmasked stormtrooper with a droid helping a rogue pilot lift a Force-user into a ship.

"Halt!" an Imperial officer commanded. The stormtroopers aimed at the four, not hesitant to shoot.

Darth Vader ignited his lightsaber and began approaching them, breathing heavily.

Kylo jumped at the sight of the dark lord and fell to the ground just as the remaining three made the ship accelerate into the vacuum of space.

"Poe! Do you realize what you've done? Kylo Ren and his grandfather are going to-"  
"It's a problem for another time, Finn. Right now we need to worry about surviving and regrouping with Leia and the others."

Kylo stood up as he faced the dark lord alone. "Darth Vader…" he stated, lips trembling.

"Guards, leave us. Search the base and take any survivors back to the Imperial Prison," ordered Vader. The troopers nodded and marched off in sync with one another. He studied the other male with curiosity, allowing his hands to rest on his hips. "What is your name?"

"Kylo Ren, Knight of Ren," he replied immediately.

"Your thoughts dwell on another, Ren. A girl…"

Kylo bit his lip and frowned. "She and I had a fight before these rebels took me hostage."

"I see. Where is Luke Skywalker?"

"Your son is gone. I watched him fly off with Artoo,"

Darth Vader stopped breathing for a moment as he listened to the reply. "What did you just say?"

"I said that your son is gone…" Kylo repeated, now nervous as to making his grandfather upset.

"How did you know that Luke Skywalker... That's improbable,"

Kylo Ren paused as he remembered not to mess up the timeline. If Vader found out they were related, who would know how horrible the outcome would be?

"A simple mind scan, I apologize," Kylo spoke through clenched teeth.

Vader examined him once again, taking a step forward at the sight of his mask. "Why do you cover your face, young Ren? To help you breathe, perhaps?"

"I…" he placed his hand on the side of the metal, inhaling sharply. "No, Darth Vader. I wear it to…" Kylo's voice trailed off, almost embarrassed speaking to his grandfather.

"To hide your past identity? You are a fallen Jedi from what I've picked up on," he paused. "A simple mind scan." Vader's voice had a hint of sarcasm as he took a step forward to examine the other.

Kylo nodded painfully.

"My Lord, ground assault is concluded, at least a hundred dead, thirteen hostages in chains," reported an officer, who kept his head low.

"Excellent. Today the rebellion was reminded of their disadvantage. Set coordinates to the Emperor's ship, Officer, and alert him of my arrival. Tell my master that I have a guest,"  
"Yes, right away, m'lord,"

The two watched the officer scurry off before Vader stated, "Follow me, young Ren. I will present you to my master. He will be very pleased to see another one like us."

Kylo began to proceed behind him, but stopped with hesitation.

"What is holding you back?"

"That girl you mentioned before, Rey, I can still feel her presence on this planet. We must find her before the rebel scums do."

"Why is she so important, young Ren?"

"Because she is a Jedi."


	5. A Clash of the Past & The Chosen Two

**A Clash of the Past**

"Anakin, do you mind checking the hyperdrive compressors before we stop the ship? Those noises they're making are giving me a bad feeling," a bearded Jedi requested as he kicked the side of the controls. "I believe this craft is falling apart at the seems. We must land soon."

"Master Obi Wan, sorry to intrude, but I can't contact Rex. Nobody is responding to my calls," a Padawan stated, repeatedly pressing a red button next to her communicator.

The two exchanged a certain look as Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, reentered the room with a frustrated expression planted on his face.

"What is it?" Obi Wan questioned, placing his hand upon his beard.

"We're lost. The hyperdrive engines malfunctioned and sent us to some strange star system where we can't signal anyone. Ahsoka, where does the ship say we are?"

Ahsoka Tano leaned over to check the screens and sighed. "Nowhere, Master. Even worse, Artoo's missing from the back. Do you think he-"

From the darkest depths of the galaxy, a sense of darkness flooded Anakin's body, causing him to fall to the ground whilst clutching his chest.

"Anakin! What happened! Are you alright?" asked Obi Wan, who rushed to his aid.

The Jedi twitched a bit as he slowly stood up, breathing heavily. "I just had a vision, but it was so realistic that I thought I was really there myself."

"Well, what did it show?" Ahsoka curiously interrogated.

"There were large machines stomping over miles and miles of a snowy wasteland, and then I saw a short officer standing at an entrance to a base. He asked me what my orders were, and I replied with…" Anakin flinched again, his hand tracing back to his lightsaber. "I took out my lightsaber and I stabbed him in the chest, saying that he failed me. Obi Wan, what does this mean? My lightsaber was red and it felt like I was looking through a mask." The Jedi's voice was trembling as he spoke, leaning onto the side of the broken ship.

Obi Wan sat down worriedly as he stroked his beard once more. "I've never heard of a vision like that. When we get back to the Temple, you must tell Master Yoda immediately. For the time being, however, we should try to land on a planet before this ship explodes." Ahsoka and Anakin both nodded as they went off to lead themselves to safety.

A few minutes passed before Ahsoka spotted a giant star destroyer hovering over a desolate white planet. "Down there! Are those our troops? Wait, the ships look unfamiliar," she commented.

"We could have come across a full-out war in the unknown regions. Neither side seems to be of Separatist or Republic allegiance," replied Obi Wan Kenobi. "Look, there. Hundreds of little cruisers and ships are escaping past those other forces."

"Should we help them, Master?" inquired Ahsoka as she leaned forward in anticipation.

"No. I don't want to bring the Republic into this, and we don't even know who the good guys are here."

Anakin stepped in between the two, saying, "It won't matter what either of you think soon. Those gray ships are starting to shoot at us!" The Jedi took over the controls to fly the three out of the situation, but gasped when all power went out in the cockpit.

"Anakin, I'm afraid that that star destroyer out there has turned on a gravitational force to pull us in. We're now technically their prisoners."  
"Well I'm not going down without a fight," Ahsoka expressed, igniting both of her lightsabers fiercely. However, Obi Wan shook his head slightly.

"Patience, Ahsoka. I feel someone powerful with the Force on that ship. We need to stay calm and follow their orders so we don't form another enemy to the Republic," Kenobi concluded as he prepared himself for what was to come next. "If they threaten us with violence, however, then you may attack accordingly."

After a slow journey from one part of the battlefield to another, the rustic ship finally penetrated the star destroyer. The three Jedi were greeted with a eight stormtroopers, handcuffs, and the removal of their weapons while also being lead past a battalion of troopers awaiting orders.

Little did they know their lives were changed for better or worse…

* * *

 **The Chosen Two**

"Lord Vader, we are set to jump to hyperspace once we've retrieved all of the ground forces. Before you departed Hoth, we picked up an outdated G9 Rigger freighter east of the planet. Three prisoners are currently in the prison sector."

"And why is this relevant, Commander Opid?" the Sith interrogated, upset that Opid had interrupted his and Kylo Ren's conversation.

"All three of them had lightsabers, my Lord. One named Ahsoka attempted an escape, but out forces heavily outnumbered her."

Darth Vader clenched his fists as hate rushed through his body. Ahsoka Tano was aboard the ship? Perhaps he could use this opportunity to test Kylo's skills. If he defeats her, the two of them could potentially be powerful enough to take down the Emperor…

Vader shook his head, forcing the thought out of his mind. "Bring me to this Ahsoka, Commander. Follow us, young Ren, for this could be your chance to prove yourself to me."

Kylo nodded firmly as the three marched off to the prison sector for a reunion Vader had never dreamed of.

"Master Obi Wan? Master Anakin? Hello~" Ahsoka called out, getting annoyed with even herself.

 _How long has it been? It feels like forever,_ she thought as she sat down on the cold, metal block that stuck out from the wall. "C'mon...somebody's oughta find me, right? I'm sure Anakin will be here soon, I just know it."

Suddenly, the doors opened with a fierce lift, allowing Darth Vader and Kylo Ren to enter. "Ahsoka Tano. We meet again," Vader uttered with a cock of his head.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Ahsoka asked as she jumped up in shock.

"Don't act oblivious, former Padawan. I…" Vader examined her and shook his head. "Why do you look…younger? You're not the same as the last time we've encountered one another."

"I don't understand. I've encountered Sith lords like Dooku, but never someone like you," replied Ahsoka, who deeply wished she had her lightsabers.

Suddenly, Kylo stepped next to his grandfather. "I can sense that you're deeply concerned about something. Give it to me," he demanded, reaching his gloved hand out to reach into her thoughts.

Ahsoka sprung back in fear, gritting her teeth.

"Get out of my head!"

While Kylo closed his eyes and twisted his neck around, Vader studied him with great curiosity. With such exertion like this, there was no doubt that Ren was trained harshly, but effectively. The Sith had used a mind probe method before, but he never used it as a torturing method for the victims.

"Two Jedi are also located in these chambers…their names are Obi Wan Kenobi and-"

"Get out of my head!" Ahsoka screamed one last time before she forced his power away. Kylo stood up from the ground and glanced at Vader to see what his next move was.

"Impossible. I personally cut Kenobi in half on the Death Star," stated Vader, whose words were sharp and brutal. "Was she lying, Kylo Ren?"  
"No, she wasn't," replied his grandson briskly. "There were signs of concealing that information, though."

"Then who would have thought that today would be the day living evidence of Anakin Skywalker's life would be eliminated?" Vader announced, placing his hands on his hips. "Young Ren, stay here with this ex apprentice. I want Kenobi to watch me slaughter her slowly; so slowly that she'll feel every excruciating cut. It shall be a day to remember…the day the Jedi officially fall."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Kylo replied, bowing his head as his own flesh and blood exited with a dramatic cape-flip.

 _I should do that more often…I'm sure Hux would hate me for being that extra,_ thought Kylo, smirking a bit under his mask.

"Where is my master, Sith lord? I saw your troops drag them out!" Ahsoka exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"Your friends will be relieved of their lives today," answered Ren. He put his gloved hand on his lightsaber and exhaled quietly. It was still so much to take in: being transported back in time and teaming with his idol? Who would have seen that coming. If only Rey were here, Vader would probably…

Kylo snapped himself out of his daze and back into the present. Yes, he _was_ there, and Rey would be found soon enough. Only then would he take her to the dark side to fulfill her destiny as his companion. It was only a matter of time…

* * *

"My Lord, I'm afraid I have quite t-terrible news," an officer stuttered, her hands pressed firmly behind her back. Of course, the last thing Officer Famore wanted was to be the bearer of bad news to Lord Vader, but it was her troops that allowed a valuable asset to slip through the cracks.

"Why do you officers always find a way to cut me off? What do you want?" Vader urged, his exasperation already peaking.

"Sir, o-one of the prisoners….escaped," she peeped, her face down. The woman's black hair that was so perfectly tucked behind her cap was now falling over her pale face. Vader's piercing glare nearly stung into Famore's narrow, brown eyes as the trembled slightly. "He used a mind trick to force my troopers to let him go."  
Another girl who resembled the fearing officer stood around the corner, watching in pure distress, for Famore was her dear sister; her only friend in the Empire. She gaped as Vader slit Famore's throat in one stroke and walked away as if nothing had happened. "No…" she mumbled to herself. Once Vader had stomped off, this girl, Halma, rushed over to assist her sister, but it was too late.

"Please don't leave me, Famore, I need you. You're the only person I have," she cried into her chest.

"Get back to work, technician," a captain spat as he kicked her in the shin. "Lord Vader isn't very far, and I have close connections with him. Wouldn't be a shame if he found you like this?"

Halma stood up, trembling, and nodded slowly. "Y-Yes, sir."

The captain turned his nose up and marched away, five troopers following behind him.

"The Empire will pay for this," murmured Halma as she stole her sister's officer pin and scurried off into the shadows of the ship.

"You say there was another Jedi prisoner besides Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano?" Vader interrogated. He stood deep in the prison corridor conferring with a high-ranked stormtrooper. The dim, red light reflected off of glossy, black walls, only making the Sith lord look more intimidating to others. A small mouse droid buzzed between the two men while leaving a trail of a faint gasoline smell.

"Yes, my Lord. He wouldn't give us a name, though," replied the trooper, reading off a data pad. "His cell is right here," he said as he pointed to a cell three doors down.

"Thank you, Sargent, you are dismissed," Vader announced. The Sith entered a code into the lock on the door and watched as they hissed open to reveal…

"Anakin Skywalker," Darth Vader snapped, igniting his red saber. "Impossible! I've killed you on Mustafar. This _is_ some test Emperor Palpatine put me up to! I will not fail my master." He watched as Anakin stood with purpose.

"I do not know who you are, but my friends and I align with someone outside of whatever war you fight now! If you kill me, the Republic will take your forces down," he, who was now in a fighting stance, stated.

Vader's hatred and pain were at their all time high as he heard this. The Sith lord had seen thousands of visions of him slashing down his greatest enemy, himself, but how was this possible? "Commander Opid, do you copy?" he spoke briskly into a communicator.

"Yes, sir." the device responded.

"Tell Kylo Ren that he may leave Ahsoka Tano. I want him to find Obi Wan Kenobi and murder him on sight. Do you understand?"

"Already on it, sir," was all they heard until the static faded.

"You wouldn't lay a finger on my master, Sith. He's too powerful to be taken down by your kind," Anakin grumbled, attempting to pull the restraints off.

"But what you don't realize, Anakin Skywalker, is that I've already succeeded. I've already killed you both."


	6. Head in the Clouds

**(Hi everybody! I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but I can assure you the next one is much longer :) Thank you for reading!)**

* * *

 **Head in the Clouds**

Finn and Poe sat in the cockpit of a T-47 airspeeder while BB-8 attempted to stay put whilst squished next to the two. Days and days had passed since Hoth, and no one seemed to have made contact with the lost ship. Finn had dozed off with permission by Poe, knowing how long and stressful their day had been. Luckily, the two continued to survive by stealing food items from smuggler ships.

"If only they hadn't scrapped this damn ship and left us without a working tracking chip!" Poe grunted, kicking the side of the control panel. "At least it was modified to fit three people, BB, or else we might've had to leave someone behind." The circular droid shocked the pilot, only leaving him to gasp and chuckle. "I'm joking. I guess the only good part about leaving Crybaby Ren back on Hoth was being able to bring you with us, pal," Poe stated, smiling weakly as he stared out into the vastness of space.

Poe Dameron hummed quietly while he attempted to repair the navigation system, time slowly wearing away at his fingertips. He wondered how long it had been since the battle, what Vader was planning on doing next now that he gained Kylo, and where Leia was…

"Wait a second," Poe murmured as he grabbed a small notepad from a pocket inside of his jacket. "Leia gave me the coordinates to her old friend's place years ago. I almost forgot I had this thing," the pilot explained to his droid as he entered the numerals listed on the paper. "She never told me where it lead to, though. Hopefully the guy running it is badass and good enough to let us stay there."

And with the push of a button, the three were emerged into hyperspace.

"Psst, Finn. Wake up!" Poe shouted, pushing his seat back and forth to catch his consciousness.

"I'm awake! I'm awake," exclaimed the ex-stormtrooper. He sat upright and looked out the window in astonishment. "Where did you bring us?"

"To be honest, I don't have a damn clue."

"T-47 come in? Do you copy? What is your clearance code?" an unfamiliar voice rang throughout the ship.

Poe extended his arm out and responded, "Yes'sir, we copy. I'm here with a friend and droid. Frankly, we're, uh, lost and need someplace to stay for a day or two. I was given instructions to fly here by Gener-uh…Princess Leia Organa."

There was an interminable silence before, "Clearance to land accepted. Please dock at this location…"  
Poe turned to Finn as he patted his trusty droid. "We did it, Finn. We did it."

As the three exited the spacecraft, Finn admired the place in awe: floating skyscrapers that reached to the sky towered overhead as ships and transporters whirled by. Two guards walked out of a white, modern building with Leia, Han, and an unknown man close by. The stranger's chocolate skin wrinkled with an ecstatic grin.  
"Welcome to Cloud City, fellas. I'm Lando Calrissian, and you are?" His toothy smile was so contagious that even Poe found himself smirking alongside the man.

"I'm Finn, that's BB-8, and that's Poe Dameron. We're with the Resistance," Finn answered, reaching his hand out to shake Lando's.

The man nodded while shaking back. "It's a pleasure making your acquaintance. Now, I have some business to attend, but you three can head on back with Han, okay? See you around," stated Lando before wandering off with a few guards.

"It's so good to see you three," Leia began, taking a step forward. "We don't know who else survived yet. Why don't you all follow me back to our quarters so we can…" the Princess paused as she looked around. "…talk."

Finn and Poe exchanged a glance, but agreed anyway.

Once they had entered the private room and settled themselves down on the white sofa, Leia said briskly, "This place is too suspicious right now. I could have sworn I spotted a stormtrooper last night."

"Well obviously it's suspicious, Princess. If anyone knows Lando, it's me, and he is not the best when it comes to keeping secrets. We just have to play it off until they fix my ship. I betcha the Falcon's almost ready," Han barged in.

As the others conferred with one another, Finn nervously tugged at his thumb and kept his face down.

"What's bothering you now, buddy?" asked a worried Poe.

"Did anyone find Rey?" he mumbled, eyes tearing a little.

Poe looked up to Han and Leia for any answers, but Leia just bit the inside of her cheek.

"Captain Pavush, he man we sent out to retrieve her, was shot down by an Imperial TIE fighter, Finn. I'm so sorry, but I think there's a very good chance that your friend is still on Hoth," explained the Princess, who now put an understanding hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

The dark skinned human fell to his knees and shook his head with grief.

"It's all my fault," he cried to himself. "It's all my fault."


	7. Days on Dagobah

**Days on Dagobah**

"I must find Yoda," Luke repeated to himself as his X-wing soared through the open atmosphere of Hoth. As he punched in a code on the control panel, a strange feeling filled his stomach. "Artoo, can you do one last scan of the area? I feel like there's someone out here reaching out to me," he requested. The droid in the back whistled back at the Skywalker in less than a minute, alerting Luke that he had picked up a human below them. "Hurry, Artoo, lower us down. I saw a tandem starfighter about a mile back, so we can fly outta here on that. Got it?" Artoo beeped an affirmative as he landed the ship and popped out. "Alright, go on east until you find it and fly it back to us. Be fast, though. I don't want you to shut down," Luke explained, detaching the lightsaber from his hilt. As Artoo glided off, the blond boy closed his eyes to try and feel where the other was buried. "There we go," he mumbled, igniting his saber and sticking it into the thick, compacted snow. He was careful in his movements, making sure to prevent any injuries.

And there she was: an ivory-skinned, freckled woman with her tangled and chestnut hair scattered across her face. She wore a handmade outfit with layers of thin cloth and a white shirt beneath.

"Who _are_ you?" Luke whispered, astonished with how she survived being buried in her conditions.

The faint sounds of battle flooded back into the present: cries, blaster fire, the heavy metal scraping of AT-ATs. Luke brushed the last remains of snow off of her face and picked the woman up bridal-style when Artoo appeared overhead in the new ship. "Down here!" he cried to the droid.

Before they knew it, the tandem X-wing had blasted off into hyperspace, leaving all of Hoth's woes behind.

* * *

Black. Dark. _Death._

This was a place Rey was familiar with. _Too_ familiar with.

The frightened girl waved her hand about into the blackness around her. "Hello?" she shouted into the abyss. Nothing. Rey took a few more steps until she tripped over a small object.

"Run, girl, run!" an echoing voice commanded her. Without a hint of hesitation, she rose and sprinted as fast as she possibly could, though she did not know quite why. Behind her, Rey could feel the warmth of another. The scavenger felt as if she was being ripped in half over a seemingly pointless decision: does she dare turn around and stop?

Frustrated, she shot around her spinning head and was pounced upon by a dark presence, causing the girl to be pushed to the ground. In the moments that followed, Rey made eye contact with _him._

"Ben?"

No, this was not Ben Solo. This was Kylo Ren at his worst. His eyes were not the same as she knew…they were yellow, piercing, and violent.

Ren's devastating smile sent chills swirling down Rey's spine as he lifted his lightsaber and stabbed her in the chest.

* * *

Rey sat straight up in a cold sweat and smacked her head into an overhead area. Where _was_ she?

"Ow," the scavenger grumbled, lifting her hand to the bruised area.

"Hmm, awake, you are," a stranger stated from below. Rey looked down to see a little green creature leaning on a wooden stick. He was covered in a thick, beige robe that resembled those from the sacred texts. "Yoda, I am. And you, hmm?"

"Rey. It's just Rey," she replied, rubbing her head. "Wait a second, _you're_ Master Yoda? I thought…" her voice trailed off in amazement.

Yoda, however, seemed to disregard the comment. "Saved you, Luke has. Almost died on Hoth, you did? Interesting. Come, come. Follow me, you should," the Jedi Master suggested as he wobbled out of his circular hut. Rey did as instructed and held her breath as she took in the sights around her. The scavenger nearly tripped on the uplifted tree roots in the ground, but even so, the strange environment captivated her. The crooked, hollow trees, distant sound of running water, and the intimidating, yet pleasant croaks of nearby creatures were enough to hook her.

"May I ask, Master Yoda, am I dead?" Rey asked aloud, breaking the silence between the two.

"Dead, you are not. On Dagobah, Luke has brought you, hmm?" replied the Jedi Master, who did not turn around with his response. "Bringing you to Luke, I am. Yes, here Luke is."

Rey looked a bit to her right when her eyes lay upon the Skywalker boy. He sat next to Artoo and a lit fire while roasting a native animal over the flame. With their abrupt presence, Luke lifted his eyes up and met with Rey's. She remembered the first time she saw those eyes: they were hopeless and drained.

"Hi," was all he said.

"Hi," answered Rey as she sat next to him, crossing her legs carefully. "You look…different."

It was true. The quick-tempered, bearded Luke she remembered was replaced with a younger, more upbeat-looking man. Artoo whirled a "Hello" at her, but Rey simply waved at the astromech droid.

"What do you mean, 'different?' We've never met, as far as I can remember. But based on your clothes, did you crash land from Tatooine or something?" Luke questioned, scratching the blond locks on his head.

Yoda cleared his throat and stated, "Tell us, will you, how you got on Hoth?"

Rey scoffed quietly. "Jakku, actually. But I didn't crash land…I was on the Supreme Leader's ship when everything went dark and I blacked out. I don't remember anything except…"

She looked past Yoda and Luke after sensing a dark presence. Kylo Ren stood tall behind the two, wielding Rey's saber tightly. Rey rose and growled softly, but while igniting the saber on her belt, she realized that it had a sharp crimson glow.

"Murderous snake!" Rey spat, causing Yoda and Luke to turn around swiftly. She didn't care if the weapon wasn't hers. As long as she had something to protect herself with. Luke couldn't help but allow his own saber to light up next to him as tension from their last battle resurfaced.

"Know this fiend, I do not. Recognize him, do you?" Yoda interrogated Rey. He examined the crossguard lightsaber with the faintest sense of fear, but he sensed that the Light side was strong in Rey.

She nodded in pain, "Yes, I do. That is Kylo Ren."

The Knight of Ren circled around the three, looking intimidating, but Yoda could feel his sorrow. "Kylo Ren? _Kylo Ren?_ " he stopped in his tracks and snarled. "What happened to Ben? What happened to the Rey who had hope in him?" Kylo's tone was rough and threatening.

"Ben is almost gone now. I've seen terrible visions of you killing me," Rey shouted, gritting her teeth together. "And my visions haven't failed me yet. I don't know where you are now, but that place is changing you for the worst. I _wanted to save you_."

Kylo scoffed at her response. "Yet you suddenly want to hurt me, Rey? You need to fulfill your destiny, not destroy it." His deep voice sounded muffled from his helmet.

"I will _never_ follow you down that path! I've seen now that you're a monster! You've clouded my vision before, but it won't work any longer."

"All this bickering, you two must _stop_!" exclaimed Yoda, who now stood between them. "Tolerate this, I do not. An illusion, this is, Rey. On the other side of the galaxy, he is. Clear your mind, you _must._ "

"Master, the Force has bonded our souls together for some reason. If we make contact with one another, I can feel it physically. Do you know how to break the bond?"

"Who are you talking to? I can't see your surroundings," shouted Kylo, who was growing impatient.

"An anomaly, this is. Yes…see him, we can. See us, he cannot. Hmm," Yoda mumbled to himself. "Does not exist, a way to break this does. A reason for it, there must be." The fragile creature sat down on a log and closed his green, wrinkled eyelids over his glassy eyes. "Mysterious, the ways of the Force is, but scary, it is not. Fear this Kylo Ren, do you?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Rey responded. "I do _not_ fear him."

Yoda laughed quietly, "Fooling me, you are not, young Rey. The dark side is seductive in its ways. Consume you, it will, if you continue down this path of fear. Face it, hmm?"

But Kylo had enough of this unusual silence. He took a few steps closer to Rey and extended his gloved hand out to her. Kylo inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm himself down. "Rey," he began. "Tell me where you are. I can find you and we can finally reunite in person. We can finish what we started on Snoke's ship," Kylo sighed, but he slowly brought back his hand back before Rey could answer. "I already know you're going to deny me. It's no use, is it?"

Rey's hands were shaking at this point as she stood her ground. "No, I guess not."

Ren turned around and tilted his head down, saying, "There's another Force-user near you. You're planning on killing me? My grandfather?"

Yoda stepped in once again, but as he did so, the dark presence had disappeared into the shadows. Now, it seemed as if nothing had ever happened: the trees continued swaying ever so gently with the light breeze, croaks and screeches of wildlife echoed, and the faint, calming ambience of a distant waterfall added serenity to this desolate planet. Luke sat next to the fire now, rubbing his hands together as he pulled the cooked animal off of its stick. A narrow bird glided over the sky while cooing across the atmosphere for company on its lonesome journey.

"Take deep breaths," Yoda instructed the scavenger, crossing his own legs on a log. "Feel the light side of the Force. Feel the dark side. Now feel the balance."

Rey nodded, still shaken from the previous encounter with what used to be Ben. She inhaled deeply.

"Good, good. Now, any questions, do you have?" Yoda asked her. "Sense confusion in you, I do."

"How long was I unconscious?" Rey spoke, kneeling a bit to level out with the Jedi master.

"Two days,"

"Why am I here?"

"Training, Luke is. Join him, would you like to, hmm?"

The girl paused as her mouth widened drastically. Did Yoda just offer _her_ training?

"How can I deny?" replied Rey, who was inwardly jumping with joy.

"Start tomorrow morning, we will. Be ready at dawn,"

* * *

::Okay! So, I've been writing these past few chapters on my Google Docs, but this is what I have so far! _Hope_ fully I will post the next chapter by next Friday, but until then, may the Force be with you...:) ::


	8. Chapter 7 UPDATE

Hi everybody! So unfortunately this is not chapter eight (which is almost done, though!), but I do have some news to share with y'all.

So a friend of mine was reading my story (luv ya, Julian) and she noticed an error in chapter seven! I totally forgot that Rey had Kylo's lightsaber, and vice versa. To fix that, I've updated _Days on Dagobah_ a little bit to remove that continuity error. Thank you all for reading and stay tuned for more updates!

As a little thank you for reading my story (900 views in 2 days?! woah!), leave a review on this chapter with any requests for character team ups, any events, really, or any character you'd like to see! I'll try to include any I agree with/think would fit into the story!

May the Force be with you...

-Ray :)


	9. Ashes of the Past

**Ashes of the Past**

"What do you think about the new guy?'

There was a sudden clunk of armor before another responded, "He's odd. How come he follows Vader around everywhere? It's like he's his right-hand man or something."

"Yeah, right," the other scoffed. "He's a Vader rip-off, not Vader's apprentice. Besides, Kylo Ren isn't even that… that powerful…"

Unsettling noises followed: a man gasping for air, another yelling… a thump.

"Hello? Hello! Can you hear me?"

Kylo let his clenched fist relax when it went quiet.

These were the events that were happening down the hall from Ren's sleeping chamber on the ship.

It was early in the morning when the star destroyer had finally entered an Outer Rim planet's atmosphere. For being so far from most civilizations, Rilpanion's habitable surface was home to hundreds of different species, all enslaved by the Empire. At young ages, Rilpanion's people were to be brainwashed to either become troopers, technicians, architects, or personal slaves for officials. The Emperor owned a massive palace on the planet as one of the many alternatives to living on a ship for all of his reign, but only a certain few people were granted access inside. Now, Darth Vader was bringing Kylo Ren there to meet face-to-face with his master, or so Kylo Ren thought.

"Sir, Lord Vader requests your presence at the launch bay in an hour," a crisp voice announced from the other side of the reflective black door.

Kylo stared at the ceiling, his large, pale hands tangled in the black knots on his head. "Tell him I will be there," he stated. Following the footsteps down the hallway, the Knight of Ren sat up and slumped over to the refresher to wash off, but as he walked into the other room, he leaned over the sink to examine himself in the mirror. Everything was the same: just plain old Ben.

 _Kylo_ , he reminded himself. _Kylo Ren._

The Force-user allowed his finger to trace his relatively smooth face until it was challenged with a rough patch. He opened his eyes, staring at the black scar on his face that Rey had given him.

Rey. That damned scavenger who had screwed up his life for the worst…

Or the best.

Kylo allowed the water to hose him down once he had entered the refresher, but he shivered at the sudden contact of piercing coldness. He instantly turned the water to the hottest setting, now feeling much more comfortable with the scorching hot liquid.

After he dried off, Kylo Ren slipped on his clothes, which were now stainless and warm. _Cleaning droids,_ he thought. _I knew I heard a beep at the door last night._

Why Vader hadn't brought him to Palpatine yet, Kylo didn't know. It had been about a week since Hoth, and there was already trouble brewing. Rey was with another Force-sensitive being on another planet, and Kylo was trying his best to earn his grandfather's respect. This, however, turned out to be quite the challenge for Ren since he seemed rather clingy at first. In addition, with Obi Wan Kenobi on the loose, no one knew who to trust, for a traitor was currently hiding him somewhere in the ship. These thoughts swirled around Kylo's head as he slid his black mask over his face.

Unfortunately, Ren still despised the mask. In fact, he only wore it to impress Vader with their "similarities." But even so, Kylo was hesitant to reveal his face to his grandfather. What if that action alone altered the outcome of the Empire? What if this made Vader believe him to be weak? Or maybe his grandfather just wouldn't like the way he looked. Either way, every move he made concerned him so much that Kylo thought it'd be best to stay put in his room for as long as possible, unless needed, of course.

Kylo Ren peered into the narrow mirror on the wall and inhaled sharply. "Time to go," he spoke to no one in particular.

When the door hissed open, Kylo escorted himself to the launch bay and met Vader.

The black leathered giant stood before him in front of a window, overseeing the production of a secret weapon from afar. His gloved hands rested gently on his belt, but slowly swung down as he sensed someone from behind.

"Just on time, young Ren," Vader began, slowly walking down the hall with the younger man. "I've summoned you for an important reason. As you know, there is a Jedi loose on the ship and I need you to…" he paused, clearing his throat. "…assist me in capturing him. While I attend a meeting with my Master, you must use your abilities to weed out the traitor who is aiding Kenobi. Do you understand?"

Kylo Ren nodded slowly. "Yes, Lord Vader."  
"Good. I will send about ten troopers with you, though I'm sure you won't need them, and you can begin. If you do see Kenobi, however, contact me. But stall for as long as possible," Vader explained, nodding off to a general, signaling him to send out his troopers. "I want to do the honors myself."

As Ren marched down the halls of the star destroyer, he felt a vaguely familiar feeling in his gut, something he hadn't felt since being one of Luke Skywalker's Padawans. "Guards," he started, "I believe that Obi Wan is somewhere in this area. Spread out, and if you see him or anyone looking suspicious, alert me at once." The troopers swiftly saluted and split up, checking the nearby corridors for any alarming activity. Kylo, who was now alone, snuck down a narrow, dusky hallway until he felt something strange. Igniting Rey's lightsaber, Ren sliced open a door to reveal exactly what he was looking for.

Obi Wan Kenobi sat quietly on a slab extending from the wall, talking to a short, nervous-looking woman. Her black bangs almost covered her now fearful eyes.

"One would think that such a well-known Jedi like you would try to conceal his presence."

"A Sith?" Kenobi exclaimed, igniting two blue sabers in his hands. "I'll take care of him. Halma, you know what to do."

The quivering woman opened the back door of the room and sprinted down the corridor with unknown intentions. Kylo quickly contacted Vader with his comm, alerting him that he had Kenobi, but a traitor was running loose.

"My troopers are already on their way, young Ren. I will be there shortly. Don't hesitate to cut off a limb or two."

Kylo made eye contact with Obi Wan, asking, "How did you escape?"

"Well, your troopers have weak minds, _so it seems_. Quite easy to persuade them to open a cell door or two," the other explained, smiling slightly. "So, are you here to duel me? The person on the other side of the comm doesn't seem to relish my presence."

Ren scoffed at him. " _So it seems_."

"It's quite strange that a Sith like you would wield such a similar lightsaber to my Padawan, especially in a blue variant."

"Shut up, Kenobi. I have been given one simple order from Vader that I do not intend on delaying."

And with that being said, the duel commenced.

Ren struck first, aiming wholly for Obi Wan's left arm, but the Jedi master had other plans. Kenobi flipped over Kylo, just missing the blue blade, and struck the First Order's leader with a swift stroke. Angered at being toyed with, Kylo Ren let out a low battle cry while striking a blow to Obi Wan's chest with his fist, causing the bearded Jedi to collapse. Kenobi continued to use predictable, yet complicated moves on Ren, and whenever the other tried to take the duel to another room, Obi Wan would jump in front of the exit.

Kylo Ren, however, used this to his advantage later on in the duel. Like normally, he'd sprint towards the hallway, but as Kenobi rushed in front of him, he swung at his back, scarring it permanently.

The Jedi doubled over in pain, but did not let his guard down. Instead of admitting defeat, Obi Wan stood up and continued fighting, despite his severe injuries.

After about ten minutes, an echoing alarm sang out for the entire star destroyer to hear. Now it was Obi Wan who was making his way towards the room's back door, but Kylo quickly stepped in front of it, just barely smirking.

"Ah, using my own tactics against me? As ironic as it is, I believe the true irony is found with the fact that we were both stalling time for another," Kenobi spoke swiftly, but before Kylo Ren could comprehend, he slipped out the front entrance and closed the thick door on his fiend.

"Dammit!" Ren screeched as he swung the blue saber at the door in fury.

Obi Wan sprinted down the hall, grinning in relief as he spotted Ahsoka and Anakin fighting off stormtroopers. They both used one of Ahsoka's lightsabers to defend themselves before turning around to spot Obi Wan. The Jedi slid next to them to take cover.

"Fancy seeing you here," he said, handing his Padawan the infamous blue saber.

Anakin resembled a child reclaiming a stolen toy as he took it back, saying, "We just barely made it out. These guys are a lot more skilled than any large-scale army we've fought before."  
"I agree. I just battled one of the Sith lords and barely made it out with all of my limbs-" Kenobi instinctively penetrated a stormtrooper's torso from behind. "-so I suggest we leave, and quickly. The stronger Sith is on his way here now."  
"There's two?" exclaimed Anakin, who now didn't know whether to feel eager for a fight or terrified. "Oh yeah, there's _always_ two of them."

"We ran past a dock around the corner with lots of ships. I think we should take our chances there," Ahsoka interrupted as she continued deflecting blaster shots.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Lead the way!" Obi Wan exclaimed.

The trio scattered down the corridor until they reached the docking bay. Fortunately, the area was clear of any hostile personnel because everyone was redirected to the bridge, courtesy of Anakin's programming hacks. The Chosen One showed them to a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle and scattered to the cockpit.

"I think our luck is beginning to turn," mumbled Anakin as he started the engine up.

"Mmm, not yet. We still need to get past those shield generators. I can fix that, but Ahsoka, you have to fend off those troopers before they infiltrate the ship. Got that?" Obi Wan explained, but he didn't wait for a response. He sat in the co-pilot's seat and began working on deactivating the shields before they met their inevitable dooms. Ahsoka saluted, sprinting over to follow the Master's order. Everything was running smoothly until two looming shadows appeared at the entrance, followed by a crimson glow.

"Oh no. _They're_ here!"

The engines, however, began roaring at the squad of troopers. The blue steam coming from the back forcefully smacked the batallion into the wall, injuring a few and knocking out others. In amidst the Jedi's achievement, Darth Vader still stood towering and unharmed as he slowly made his way toward the ship. Kylo Ren had fallen, but the harsh winds restricted him from regaining his balance.

"See you around!" Ahsoka called, waving her coral-toned hand frantically as the Lambda shuttle took off into the vast galaxy. After departing the dock, she sprinted into the cockpit to see what Obi Wan and Anakin's next moves were.

"I suggest we go somewhere safe. Right now we're in the Outer Rim, a planet named Rilpanion, to be exact. I know you're going to absolutely despise me for this, but I suggest we go to Tatooine," explicated Kenobi, who looked over at his Padawan to see his reaction.

"No," Anakin began, shaking his head. "That place is a mess at the moment. Master, are there _any_ other planets we can go to that are nearby? We can't just cruise around this destroyer. I think those little ships are coming back…"

Obi Wan let his gloved fingers glide over the hairs on his chin, when he suddenly felt a familiar voice call out to him.

"Master Yoda?" he mumbled aloud as he closed his eyes. Ahsoka and Anakin glanced at one another.

 _Obi Wan Kenobi, alive, you are…_

"Yes, Master. I am alive. Where can I find you?"

 _2460.87 , -14267.52, Sluis._

"246…what does that mean? Master Yoda?"

No response.

"Wait a minute, those were coordinates!" Obi Wan yelped. The Jedi put the numbers in and launched the shuttle into hyperspace before TIE fighters spotted them hiding below the ship. Ahsoka and Anakin thought it would be best not to interrogate the older of the three, as he seemed to be confused, yet eager.  
About an hour of silence passed when a foggy planet with an array of blue and green on its surface appeared, almost tearing Anakin from his thoughts.

"What planet is this, Master?" Ashoka questioned as she peered out the window.

"I have no idea, but the Force is strong here. I can sense it."

As the ship entered the atmosphere, all power was shut off and it began dropping quickly to the surface.

"Obi Wan! Do something!" screamed Anakin, holding on to the control panel before he was thrown to the back of the cockpit.

"I can't! Brace yourselves. This will be a rough landing," Kenobi yelled. Within minutes, the shuttle crashed into the surface, penetrating the planet's earth. He, Anakin, and Ahsoka stumbled out into the river, dazed from the landing. "Look, over there. I see smoke coming from behind the trees. Perhaps a tribe is there?"

"I don't care what's there!" Anakin lashed out as he began running. "I just need someone to explain what the hell is happening."

The infamous Jedi trio ran through the trees, brush, and rivers, when Ahsoka spotted a little hut. The same black smoke withered its way up into the atmosphere, giving off a decently appetizing scent.

"Where _are_ we?" Anakin interrogated, gripping his lightsaber.

Instead of a response from his closest companions, another answered his question.

"On Dagobah, you are."

The three turned around and nearly jumped out of their skins at the sight of Master Yoda leaning on his wooden cane. Behind him, two unfamiliar faces were lifting rocks by the riverside.

"Come, come, you should. Much to explain, you do."


	10. Emotions Can Steer

**Emotions Can Steer**

(I am so, so, SO sorry for not posting in such a long time! I've been very busy lately balancing acting, sports, and school that I haven't gotten around to writing another chapter. However, summer vacation is finally here, so I will be posting more chapters in the weeks to come. Thank you for reading my story! Remember: If you have any suggestions of characters/character team ups/events/ships that you want to see, leave a review! I may or may not include some {and credit you, of course} in the story ;) I didn't really proofread this chapter, so let me know if you spot any story-altering grammar mistakes. ).

{{Someone requested that I include a little Reylo in this story, so this one goes out to all of y'all. Of course, this ship will not be the driving factor of the plot, so if you do not like this pairing, please keep that in mind.}}

"Where _are_ we?" Anakin interrogated, gripping his lightsaber.

Instead of a response from his closest companions, another answered his question.

"On Dagobah, you are."

The three turned around and nearly jumped out of their skins at the sight of Master Yoda leaning on his wooden cane. Behind him, two unfamiliar faces were lifting rocks by the riverside.

"Come, come, you should. Much to explain, you do."

"Master Yoda? Why are you here?" asked Anakin as the shorter Jedi lead them to a wooden table built by Luke and Rey. "We just escaped from the clutches of _two_ Sith who were in charge of a ginormous army. We barely made it out alive…."

"Speaking of which," Obi Wan interrupted, a sore hand on his back. "I believe I need medical assistance. The Sith apprentice got a strike at my back."

Yoda nodded slightly and looked over at Anakin. "Rest, he should, in my hut. On the top shelf, medical supplies are," he instructed, watching as the the long-haired male helped his Master inside. He then turned to Ahsoka, issuing her to sit down at the table outside. A fly flew across her face and she swatted at it awkwardly as Yoda just sat there, examining her.

"Master Yoda, is everything alright? You seem dazed,"

Yoda adjusted himself on the tree stump-seat and rubbed his temples. "Yes, just confused, I am. The last thing you remember before things got strange, what is?"

"Well, me, Masters Obi Wan and Anakin, and Artoo were flying back to the Jedi Temple after investigating a bombing on Takodana. When we were flying back...things got odd. Unfamiliar star destroyers began entering the system, so we went into hyperspace to get out of there. However, about an hour in, Artoo went missing. We were pulled out of hyperspace and stranded in space until two Sith took us hostage." She shifted uncomfortably as she spoke, closing her eyes to remember every vivid detail.

Yoda closed his wrinkly eyelids over his glassy, chestnut eyes as well. "The Sith. Familiar with you, were they?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "The Apprentice was quite clueless of our identities, but that Master––he was ruthless towards us: knew every single one of our backgrounds." She looked off to the distance and squinted at the sight of Rey and Luke playfully tossing rocks at one another. "Who are they? I didn't know you had...padawans."

"Much to explain, I do," Yoda sighed, realizing that what he feared was true: something in the Force created an anomaly, pushing persons from different eras into this certain time period. "Luke, Rey! Come here, you must!" he called to them.

Rey settled down on a rocky slab next to the water after Yoda instructed her and Luke to practice lifting heavy objects together. After about an hour had passed, Rey decided that it'd be best to take a little mental break. She airily splashed water at Luke, who sat a few feet in front of her. "Got'cha," she teased, laughing softly. It was nice to have someone so lighthearted and around her age to train with, especially in a time like this. Overhead, distorted-looking, brown birds soared high as they cawed to one another. Luke chuckled in response, wiping water from his blond locks.

"You got me there," he replied, raising his eyebrows and splashing water back.

"Hey!" Rey called. The two of them now sat there, soaked and giggling together like children, not even noticing three strangers behind Yoda.

She looked up at Luke; he looked so genuinely happy. Now _that_ was different. Rey decided that she liked the younger Luke better than the old hermit she met on Ahch-To. Whatever could have happened to change his personality so drastically? Yes, the Kylo Ren incident must have played a factor, but something must have happened before that. Rey humphed in defeat; she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Luke, Rey! Come here, you must!"

Rey snapped out of her thoughts and jerked up as Yoda called from a distance. She and Luke sprinted over to him and settled down at the table to see what was going on. Rey peered at the young Togruta with immense curiosity as a man with long hair exited the hut and joined them. He and Luke shared a heated stare with one another, so to break the tension, Yoda decided to peep up.

"Interesting, it is, to be seated with a group of such diverse Jedi. Impossible to have all of you here at the same time, it should be."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, cocking his head. "Master, what are you talking about? We're not exactly diverse...everyone except you is human."

"Talking about species, I was not. A conversation for another _time_ , this is. Hmm, hmm," Yoda laughed slightly at his own pun as the others gave him confused looks. He cleared his throat to recollect himself. "Anyways, explain, you must, of what happened on the star destroyer, Anakin."

The older Jedi bit the inside of his cheek, not exactly wanting to relive all of those memories. He inhaled deeply, saying, "After our ship was docked, I think I passed out. I then woke up in a cell, only to be greeted with a tall Sith named––"

"––Vader," Ahsoka interrupted, shivering at the thought of the sinister man. "His apprentice, Kylo Ren, I believe his name was, mind probed my brain to figure out who else was with me. Once with that information, Vader threatened to slaughter me in front of Obi Wan…"

Rey stopped paying attention at the mention of Kylo Ren. He was with _Vader?_ The two of them combined could take down hundreds of innocents in days. If the Force connected them with the presence of so many Jedi around her, Kylo might figure out her location, only leading the _entire_ Empire to the hidden planet of Dagobah. Though she believed that each individual could only see the other's surroundings if granted permission, finding out if it were true or not was not a risk Rey was willing to take.

"I have to leave. Right now."

Anakin raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? I don't think I even got your name yet."

"Rey, understand, I do, why you want to run. But safe here, you are, hm?" Yoda made an endeavor to keep Rey on the planet, mostly to avoid anymore timeline alterations.

"I can't, Master Yoda," she whispered, defeated. "Remember how we share a Force bond? If Kylo manages to reach me again and possibly find my location, he and Vader might come here. Kylo will do _anything_ to capture me; that I can promise."

"So your name is Rey. Can you please explain to me what a Force bond is? And what it relates to you and the Sith apprentice?" Ahsoka asked as she leaned in. This Rey girl seemed complicated, but intriguing. Maybe a future friend?

"The Force basically bonded their two souls. They can communicate to one another, even if they're light-years apart. At least, that's what Rey told me," explained Luke. He noticed that Anakin's harsh glare seemed to soften, lightening his nerves a bit. "I'm Luke, by the way. Luke Sk––"

"Understand, they do," Yoda cut him off to save the conversation of time issues. "Rey, in this time, high bounties and executions, Jedi have. Safer on Dagobah, it is. In the meantime, train with Luke, you will, to strengthen your abilities. Only then, defeat Kylo Ren, you can. Off you are, hm? Talk I must."

Rey nodded regretfully and trudged off to the water once again, followed by Luke. "It's just not fair," Rey huffed, sitting quickly. "I don't want to endanger all of you because of some stupid Force bond. Besides…" Rey's voice trailed off as she sensed somebody else closeby.

 _Ben._

"It's him," she mumbled to Luke, eyes wide. "He might be able to hear me. Do I go to him or not?" Rey could feel her hands start to tremble.

Luke took a step back, shocked that the Dark Force-user would make another appearance so soon. "If it distracts him, then I guess you should go to him. But be careful, promise?"

"Promise, but don't tell Yoda," she whispered before hesitantly making her way towards the shadowy wood. Critters scattered away from her feet as she took little steps through the swampland, all the way until she parted overhead, long leaves, revealing a slumped-over, maskless Kylo Ren. A few lightning bugs whirled around his head, giving his pale face, which was buried in the palms of his gloved hands, a warm glow. Something was bothering him; that much was obvious.

"Rey," Kylo murmured abruptly, breaking the interminable silence. "Is that you?" His voice was soft and dry at the same time. He kept his head low as he spoke. "I didn't expect to hear from you again."

"Yes, it's me," Rey began as she fiddled with her thumb. "Kylo, we both know that this Force bond is not going away, whether we like it or not." She paused and took a few steps closer to him. "But even so, I don't need the Force to tell that something is getting on your nerves."

Rey paused. _Distract him,_ she told herself. "You can open up to me, if you wish to."

Kylo simply sighed. In a sense, he had just failed his grandfather since his efforts did not stop Obi Wan from escaping the star destroyer. Even worse, Vader had just started to respect Ren, so that seemed to have been thrown away, too. As he explained all of this to the scavenger, Kylo did not stop once to tell himself that he was opening up too much, for it felt so reassuring to have another person genuinely listening to what he had to say. "I'm lost. I've gained security, trust, and honor from a member of my family, an _idol,_ but it is all _lost_. I have nothing; no one."

Rey took a deep breath, taking a seat next to Kylo on the log he was settled on. She was now only two feet away from what used to be her biggest menace, yet it did not seem to bother her. "You're wrong about that," Rey assured him, leaning over a bit to get a better glimpse of his face. "You are not alone."

"And how is that? I'm stuck thirty years in the past with no one but my murderous grandfather and soon the Emperor. If what Skywalker told me was true when I was a child, Darth Sidious will have no mercy on me. The rule of two won't be ignored for a grandchild. He will either have me killed or forced to slaughter Vader as a replacement," snapped Ren, picking his face up from his hands. Rey was surprised to see that the scar she gave him was nonexistent, but instead other bruises and cuts were on his head. Vader must have punished him for his incompetent actions.

Rey held her hand out, remembering that one moment next to the fire on Ahch-To. "You are not alone…because I am here with you." She was completely serene as she did so, hoping that the memory would have the same effect on him. This might be her only chance at talking to such a broken Kylo.

"Ben, we are in this together now. We are our only shot of getting out of this time loop. Please, I need to know that you're with me on this." All she could hear was Kylo's heavy breathing while he stared into her eyes with his glassy orbs.

Kylo took off his right glove, placed it carefully on his lap, and allowed his hand to make contact with Rey's. The two faintly shivered, but continued to peer at one another. Kylo then slowly placed the Skywalker lightsaber on her lap with his left hand.

"I thought you might want this back."

Rey examined the weapon and smiled a bit. Perhaps Ben was finally coming around after all. She did the same with his lightsaber, glad to have finished their little trade. However, it might be an appropriate time to discuss more important matters.

"Does he know?"

Kylo cocked his head like a perplexed wolf. "What are you talking about?"

"Vader. Does he know about your…family relations?"

"No. He cannot know. How hard do you think it is to conceal something like that in front of your idol? Snoke always shaped me to be like him, but I'm starting to think…" his voice trailed off.

" _Ben,"_ she began, "Please tell me where you are. I can fly out––"

"I can't tell you anything. As much as I want to finish what we started on Snoke's shuttle, I have to learn my place here before Vader does anymore damage," Kylo spoke, placing a hand on her cheek. He did not know exactly what motivated him to do so, but Rey didn't seem to resist. The two stared at each other for a few minutes as fireflies buzzed around their heads. Why did the Force so desperately want him and the scavenger to unite the Light and Dark? Their bond was both a curse and blessing, plaguing each participant with exasperation and anticipation for their next meeting.

Suddenly, a harsh red light zipped across Rey's eyesight, making the dark Jedi yelp in pain. She looked back at him, seeing that Kylo was hunched over, grasping for a right hand that wasn't there. Rey had never actually seen him cry, but the image made her physically sick. Behind Kylo stood a menacing Vader; a monster who was more machine than man. "Ben? _Ben_!"

And with that, the bond concluded.


	11. update

Hi, everyone.

So... it's been a LONG time, huh?

I've just seen TROS and... yikes, man. It did, however, inspire me to continue writing Star Wars stories! Hopefully I'll be updating this soon!


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